Getting Started

Hello Everyone and welcome to my build log. Even though I only picked up my kit two days ago, my build started over a week back - with the construction of a new workbench. The laws of workshops state:

1. You can never have too much workbench space
2. Any newly created bench space will be immediately occupied by a new project.

And so it has been in my shop. Despite having ample bench space, it was all occupied. So I built a new bench - and now it is occupied with my 1-23 build! Since others might be in a similar predicament regarding bench space, I thought I'd start with how I built my bench. Now there are only 3 rules concerning workbenches. A workbench can never be 1) too big, 2) too sturdy, or 3) too inexpensive. With that in mind, I took a trip to the lumber yard and picked up some kiln dried 2x4's and some 4x4. Don't get the supper cheap 2x4's from your home improvement store as they are typically wet and will warp. Go to a good lumber yard, pay for the dried stuff, and pick through the pile to find straight boards. Here is my framework after building and painting:

The paint is just leftover house paint and helps keep moisture out (to prevent warping). The board leaning in front of the bench is a hollow core door - 80"x36"x13/8" - which cost all of $23 from the local home improvement store and will function as the bench top. The door is very flat (check with a large straight edge before purchasing) and just big enough for this project. As you can see, this bench also serves as a garage for my son's soapbox derby car! Here is the bench with the top in place:

The next task is to top the bench with a surface that will accept pins. Cork is the traditional choice, but the only cork I could find was extremely thin and would have cost $50 to cover the entire surface. Acoustic ceiling tiles are cheap and hold pins well. The pin holes don't "heal" like cork does, but at only a few dollars to cover the bench, who cares! I use the back side as my work surface. The tiles come in 2'x2' and 2'x4'. A utility knife and a straight edge work fine for cutting to size. I probably could have used one more tile for the corner, but since nothing was going to be built in this corner I decided to leave it...

And here is the wing plan on the bench. As you can see, 80" is just enough to build a wing. The portion overhanging is not part of the build layout.

 

Bench done. Now to build a sailplane!

Comments

[Tom Martin]

Nice bench Mark. Can't wait to see your build progress and thanks for all the help pointing out my errors. Do post more!